Adding a Warping Drum (Capstan)

[tadsheldon]

All, I have a (new to me) boat that has a Maxwell windlass on it. The windlass does not have a capstan / warping drum.

Does anyone know if there is a kit you can purchase to add a warping drum to an existing windlass?

I have a secondary anchor, and I have a hunch its not been used in a long time... if ever... because there is no way to haul it other than manually with the way the windlass is currently set up. The anchor is pretty hefty and my back is most likely not up to it.

Thanks!

 

[rslifkin]

Looking at the parts breakdown for the 2 versions of the windlass (with / without drum) may provide some answers. I know on my horizontal Maxwell HRC10, the main shaft is different for the drum vs non-drum versions.

 

[Shrew]

Can you turn the warping drum without turning the gypsy? I have a Lewmar with a 5/16" gypsy and a warping drum. They both move together. I don't have a way to use the warping drum only. To do so, I'd have to find a way to remove the chain from the gypsy first.

 

[tadsheldon]

All, two updates:

First, to Shrew's question, at least some windlasses allow for using the warping drum without using the gypsy by releasing the clutch. Obviously you need to have the primary rode secure if you do this.

Secondly, I sent an email to Maxwell with a picture of the windlass and they came back in a couple of hours with this reply (I was pleased with the quick response):

That is a Freedom windlass, and yours is most likely a Freedom 800 (for 5/16 chain) – that # being in the bottom of the outer socket.

You can convert it to include a Capstan using conversion kit part # P100018 – this would be for the most common/standard deck thickness of 2.5” or less windlass version.
If you happen to have a less-common thick-deck version of the Freedom, meaning able to pass through up to 6.5”thick deck, that conversion kit is part # P100035, and has a longer mainshaft.

You can order either item from any Vetus Maxwell distributor – please let us know if you need assistance locating one."

I'll investigate further when I return to the Boat... but there is hope.

Tad

 

[rslifkin]

Can you turn the warping drum without turning the gypsy? I have a Lewmar with a 5/16" gypsy and a warping drum. They both move together. I don't have a way to use the warping drum only. To do so, I'd have to find a way to remove the chain from the gypsy first.

On the Maxwells you can. You loosen the clutch fully and then operate the windlass. That de-clutches the gypsy, but not the drum, allowing use of only the drum.

 

[psneeld]

On my setup I can loosen the gypsy, but with the anchored secured and no tension on the chain...I just lift it off.

 

[Comodave]

Nice to get good support from a company, good luck with the conversion.

 

[Snapdragon III]

The warping drum on my windless recently saved my day in a huge way, allowing me to kedge off a mud bar that I had grounded myself on. If I had not had it, I would have been stuck there for at least 20 miserable hours till a higher tide came around. Another strong reason to add a warping drum. I have also used it to tighten dock lines during a wind storm when I couldn't move the boat by hand.

 

[AKDoug]

I purchased my LoFrans Project 1000 with the capstan on top of the chainwheel in case I needed to kedge off. The manual retrieve handle turns the mechanism backwards and disconnects the chainwheel from the capstan allowing it to be used.

 

[klee wyck]

Warping drum/winch/capstan:
I would not have thought of this and how useful it would be, but fortunately, the PO of DOMINO did. I have found it useful on a couple of occasions already and have only been aboard this vessel for a few months.
On one recent day, I found myself in an anchorage where the wind had changed direction 90 degrees, but the swell had not. Both wind and swell were significant. The wind had me crosswise to the swell and even on this wide platform, that was not good at all.
I hauled the spare anchor out back a distance with the tender and then used this winch against a fair breeze to pull and hold this vessel straight into the swell. Instant relief.
With how poor charts of the sea of Cortez seem to be, I can see using it to pull myself off of a reef some day!
It was handy and easy since this winch is electric over hydraulic driven with a foot pedal.
I now want one on the back of LIBRA! Libra has a warping drum on the windlass up front but placement of one in the back would be nice for sure.